Battery terminal clamp



July 6, 1937. J. H. REDINGER 2,086,048v I BATTERY TERMINAL CLAMP FiledJan. 28. 1935 H1 I la- 79 8 john fiffleb W.

. A. Q. n

' Attorney 7 Patented Jilly 6, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Mypresent inventionrelates to an improved battery terminal clamp betweenthe binding post of the battery and the .terminal of the cable or wireemployed for electrical appliances, especially for automotive vehicleinstallations. The primary object of the invention is the provision of'a connection of this character which may quickly be clamped on thebinding post and which may, with equal facility, be separated anddetached therefrom and in carrying out my invention 1 provide meanswhereby the terminal is securely and rigidly attached to the post toprevent accidental displacement or disconnection of the parts.

- Means are provided whereby-the clamped terminal may readily beseparated from and released from the post preparatory to withdrawing, ordetaching the terminal from the post regardless of corrosion, and by theuse of the invention a tight grip of the terminal on the post isinsured, and loosening of the parts, due to vibrations, is avoided.

In construction and operation the device is simple and readilyunderstood and manipulated and while the device is inexpensive in costof 5 manufacture, it is durable and reliable in use.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements ofparts as will hereinafterbe more fully set forth and claimed. Inthe-accompanying drawing I have illustrated one 30 complete example ofthe physical embodiment of my invention, wherein the parts are combinedand arranged according to the best mode I have thus far devised for thepractical application of v the principles of my invention, but it willbe un- 35 derstood that further changes and alterations may be made inthe exemplified structure, within the scope of my claims, withoutdeparting from the principles of my invention. Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of a battery ter- 40 minal clamp embodying my invention and showinga portion of the usual insulated cable in connection therewith.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the clamp embodying my-invention.

Figures 3, 4, and 5 are'fragmentary portions taken on the lines 3-3 ofFigures 2, of one of the ears. of the clamping member showing variousforms for supporting one of the members of my 50 device to the clamp.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view through the clamp taken on the lines66 of Figure 2.

In order that the general relation and utility of parts may readily beunderstood, Ihave shown 55 in Figure 2 a complete assembly of one formof a battery clamp in which the devices of my invention are shown intheir normal relationship for operation in connection with the bindingpost of .a battery or other connecter member. The cable or wire I]! isprovided to be inserted into '5 and fixed into a head H to make asubstantial electrical connection and the head II is cast or formedintegral with the clamping ring l2 which may be disposed as shown hereinin Figure 2 or may be set at some other proper angle for its best 10intended use. As an instance, the clamp ring l2 may be on the left handend of the connecter ll, if preferred. The clamp ring I2 is formed toconform substantially in size'to the binding post of a battery and tosurround the binding 15 post largely throughout its diameter. The ringI2 is formed with two parallel spaced ears l3 and [4 respectively, inwhich the ear I3 is bored and screw-threaded to receive a headless screwl5 threaded its entire length and which may be 20 kerfed at one end asI6 to admit the blade of a screwdriver or similar instrument.

The ear II has an enlarged bore for supporting a nut H which is formedwith either a square or hexagonal head abutting against the outside edgeof the ear and which has, adjacent to the head I1, a groove l8 and acollar l9 against the inside edge of the ear Id. The nut isso associatedwith the ear I4 that it can not move longitudinally with respect theretoand since at times it may be preferable to use different constructionsin the formation of the ear 14, reference is now made to severalalternate forms for adjusting the nut I! to the head and/or ear ll.

In Figure 4 the ear may be formed with the two parallel and extendinglegs 2| which may bepressed or formed around the nut II or the ends maybe formed similar to Figure 5, in which the extended legs 22 are fixedand form a recess to hold thenut and permitof action of both the nuthead and of the collar I9 to either draw' the clamp through the agencyof the screw l5 tightly around the battery post or to expand the clampand so extend it as to free the contact with the binding post.

The nut I1 is interiorly bored and threaded to receive the screw l5 andthe screw [5 is freely threaded therein and also in the ear l3. Whenadjusting the clamp on a battery post the nut I1 is turned. This willcause the nut to turn on the screw l5 to draw the clamp tight or thescrew l5 will turn in the ear l3 and accomplish the same object oftightening the clamp about the post.

Likewise, when it is desired to remove the terminal from the post thenut I1 is turned in the opposite direction in which case the screw l5will turn to separate the ears and hence loosen the clamp and in thiscase, likewise, the screw may turn in the nut or turn in the ear l3 inwhich in either event the clamp will be increased in diameter andseparated from the battery post so that it may be freely liftedtherefrom.

It is a well known fact that in battery terminal connections and clamps,corrosion frequently takes place causing the fastening means to becomecemented or frozen together and to accomplish release oftentimes causesbreakage of the battery post from the battery or a breakage away fromthe plates within the battery causing costly repairs or destruction ofthe battery.

In the utilization of the invention herein set forth I have providedmeans whereby if the screw becomes frozen to the nut or ear l3, eitherone, whichever connection will release the easiest will be the one thatwill become active in unclamping the fixture from the battery post. Ifcorrosion has been too great a new screw-may be readily inserted at aminimum of expense and the clamp will be renewed and in good order forfuture use saving, in many instances, the complete installation of a newclamping unit, and the furnishing of .a new cable as well as the expenseof welding the cable to the clamp.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letter Patent is: l

1. A battery clamp comprising a split ring having a pair of spaced earsextending therefrom, one of said ears having a threaded openingtherethrough, a screw threaded in said opening, a nut having internalthreads for engagement with the screw and formed with a head and acollar and an intermediate annular groove, and the other ear havingportions co-acting with the groove to prevent relative axial movement ofthe nut, whereby rotation of the nut on the screw or rotation of the nutwhen rigid with the screw will vary the space between the ears.

2. A battery clamp comprising a split ring having a pair of spaced earsextending therefrom, one of said ears having a threaded openingtherethrough, a screw threaded in said opening, a nut having internalthreads for engagement with the screw and formed with a head and acollar and an intermediate annular groove, and the other ear having apair of legs co-acting with said groove to prevent relative axialmovement of the nut, whereby rotation of the nut on the screw orrotation of the nut when rigid with the screw will vary the spacebetween the .ears'.

JOHN H. REDINGER.

